Babysitting
by dyo
Summary: Who would have thought a baby could bridge two people together?


Spoilers: Years after the end of Jinchuu Arc.  
  
Disclaimers: Characters used in this fic are not mine. Belongs to their respective   
  
owners. Nobuhiro Watsuke, Shonen Jump, Sony... please don't sue ^_^;;  
  
Baby-sitting  
  
An Aoshi and Misao Fic  
  
By dyosa :)  
  
*****  
  
"Baby-sit?" Aoshi reacted a bit callously, though his face still held an  
  
impassive expression.  
  
"Aa, if it is so kind of you, Aoshi-dono." Kenshin answered as he handed a  
  
two-year-old Kenji in his arms. Aoshi merely accepted the redheaded package  
  
and stared at the child, the latter doing so as well.  
  
"Please forgive us if we ruined your schedule for today. It seems  
  
everybody's missing in the Aioya." Kaoru said sheepishly, still uncertain with the idea  
  
of leaving her son to Aoshi.   
  
Kaoru watched the tall man in anticipation, remembering the  
  
conversation she had with her husband earlier that morning…  
  
  
  
"It's not that I distrust him, Kenshin. It's that… anou, Kenji might-" Kaoru  
  
paused, biting her lip. She had every right to worry for it was the first time she  
  
would leave her son to someone else, other than her husband.  
  
"Don't worry, koishii. Kenji will be in safe hands. Besides, I believe  
  
Aoshi-dono won't have any trouble taking care of him. He once took care of Misao  
  
when she was a baby, ne? Then there's no trouble at all." Kenshin assured  
  
lightheartedly.  
  
"If you say so…" Kaoru smiled ruefully.  
  
  
  
"Um, Aoshi-san…?" Kaoru asked slowly.  
  
"Aa. We'll be fine." Aoshi finally conceded, switching the boy's weight in  
  
his arms to the other side expertly.   
  
"Ah. Arigato." Kaoru bowed happily, then she turned to her son, "We'll be  
  
back in no time, ne, chibi?"  
  
The beginnings of a cry started to bubble in the little boy's chest, making  
  
his gaze grow wary and teary-eyed, his lips forming into a disagreeable pout.  
  
Kaoru began to worry, and started reaching for Kenji when Aoshi  
  
stopped her, "I think you should go now. It will only get worse if you stay a lot  
  
longer."  
  
"Uh, hai." Both couple turned and left, Kaoru glimpsing at the little boy as  
  
she was lead by Kenshin on the road.  
  
"He'll be fine. Don't worry de gozaru." Aoshi heard Kenshin's murmurs in  
  
the distance.  
  
Aoshi finally closed the gate and went inside, cradling the little boy in his  
  
arms.   
  
"Kaachan?" Kenji finally spoke, his brows knitted in question as he gazed  
  
into Aoshi's eyes.  
  
"They just went away for a while, chibi. They'll be back soon." His tone  
  
suddenly changed, softer, and his eyes showing hints of gentleness.  
  
"Eeh… how soon?" the little one pursued on, and Aoshi noticed he's  
  
beginning to get restless in his arms.  
  
/Now I'm in trouble./ Aoshi sighed.   
  
"I can't believe they let me carry all of these ALONE. How could they?!"   
  
Misao's outburst lasted only a few seconds before her head sagged again as she  
  
continued the long walk home. The baggage she carried grew heavier with every  
  
step, dragging her feet wearily, her heels kicking up a cloud of dust behind her, "An  
  
Okashira shouldn't be treated like this!!"  
  
At last she reached the front gate of the Aioya, looking all sullen and grimy  
  
with sweat and dirt. She carelessly kicked the old oaken gateway, unmindful of its  
  
resentful noise as it creaked open.  
  
"Tadaima!" she yelled upon entering the halls, albeit without enthusiasm.  
  
No one answered.  
  
"Oh, yeah. They're all in the market and sent me home with all of this  
  
junk!" she seethed again.  
  
She passed through the kitchen and hastily dropped all the groceries on  
  
the table; her arms grown numb from their heavy weight.  
  
"I am never gonna buy any groceries again!" she exclaimed to no one.  
  
Thankful for at least having the house all by herself, she took a quick bath  
  
and walked out from the ofuro clean and refreshed, and decided to take a long,  
  
long nap. When she passed by the receiving room, she noticed that the door was  
  
open, as well as the door leading to the yard.  
  
/Someone's here?/ she suddenly felt cautious, but when she caught a  
  
glimpse of a little toy top lying on the tatami floor, she suddenly remembered.  
  
/Of course! The Himuras are here, how can I forget? Misao no baka!/   
  
She entered the room and went out the open door leading to the yard,  
  
looking for any signs of the family.  
  
"Where are they?" she muttered to herself, finding the yard empty. Then  
  
she heard squeals of a child from the back, where Okina's precious garden lay  
  
hidden from strangers' prying eyes. She followed the delightful sound, and froze,  
  
immobile at the sight before her.  
  
"Kenji, you're mother will be very upset if you keep doing that." Aoshi  
  
gently scolded. He was stooping down on the already muddy Kenji from head to  
  
toe, and still, his rebuke was ignored. His vain attempts of preventing the  
  
redheaded boy's messy mischief only caused more trouble, making his clean  
  
russet-colored kimono be stained with small grubby handprints all over his chest  
  
and sleeves, parts reachable by the relentless child.   
  
"'Oshi-niichan, play with Kenji, ne?" the little boy laughed playfully, his  
  
tiny dirty hands splashing on the muddy puddle he was sitting on, a pail lying  
  
already unheeded beside him, with the water all spilled about forming the said  
  
puddle.  
  
"I'm beginning to notice I'm getting rusty with this kind of job." Aoshi  
  
muttered incoherently, as he covered his face from the splashes Kenji was creating.  
  
Misao stayed hidden behind the rows of Okina's orchids; suppressing her  
  
giggles and trying not to be seen as she watched the two without disturbing them.  
  
She looked at Kenji adoringly, and at Aoshi in awe, noticing his barriers down and  
  
his emotions playing in his eyes, despite the stoic face. She would catch a glimpse  
  
of an occasional twist of his lips in submission, a number curved in amusement.   
  
"'Oshi-niichan!!" Kenji suddenly stood up and impulsively jumped toward  
  
Aoshi with a wide grin. The latter's eyes widening as he was caught utterly off  
  
guard.  
  
"Matte--!!" Aoshi reacted too late as the little boy's body weight  
  
unbalancing his already hunched stature, his feet slipping in the slick mud. Not  
  
wanting to get the child hurt, he protectively held him in his arms and both landed  
  
on the muddy ground on Aoshi's behind. The landing, which was rather tough.  
  
"Oh!" Misao was unable to stop herself from crying out in surprise, then her  
  
caged hilarity suddenly burst out. Aoshi looked up, his face turning almost white  
  
upon seeing Misao, behind the orchids, bent over with laughter. Kenji heard the  
  
laughter as well and looked up at her, his grin widening even more.   
  
"M'sao-neechan!!" Kenji waved profusely, as he sat on Aoshi's lap, and  
  
the latter closing his eyes in disgrace.  
  
"Ohayo!" Misao giggled.  
  
"You'd be dead once Kaoru found the two of you like this. You should be  
  
thankful I'm here to save your butt…" Misao snickered at Aoshi as the three entered  
  
the halls, leaving a trail of mud behind, "or maybe I'm too late for that case."   
  
"Aa." Aoshi replied, almost rueful.  
  
Misao looked up at him, still feeling a bit uneasy with this newfound  
  
development between them. Aoshi merely looked back and front again, his mask  
  
in place.  
  
/I wish he'd stop doing that./ Misao sighed.  
  
"I'll start heating the water." Aoshi turned to leave.  
  
"Hai," then she turned towards Kenji, and grinned, "you first, little guy."  
  
Aoshi placed enough wood to last for two baths and went back to the  
  
corridor leading to the ofuro. He could hear Misao and Kenji's mingling laughter  
  
floating down the corridor, almost bringing a reminiscent smile on his face. As he  
  
stopped by the door, he was unable to keep his eyes away from the two,  
  
especially on Misao. Misao sat outside the tub, noticing that she had changed  
  
her clothes into a robe in order not to ruin them, and her braided hair all pinned up  
  
into a bun, wisps of damp strands escaping the bind and framing her face  
  
delicately. Kenji made incessant splashes on the clear water, his red hair already  
  
plastered on his head.  
  
"Why you--!" Misao playfully splashed him on the face, making Kenji  
  
laugh animatedly.  
  
Aoshi couldn't help but notice that the picture in front of him fit so  
  
perfectly, only the redheaded child is misplaced, and rather imagined a child with  
  
black raven hair and sky-blue eyes playing with Misao.   
  
An unknown ache grew within him, and he shifted from his relaxed  
  
stature by the door. Misao sensed his movement and looked up, stunning him to  
  
place.  
  
"We'll be finished in a minute." She announced, and smiled.  
  
"Aa." was all Aoshi could say, then tentatively left the door.  
  
/What I need is a cold shower./ he gruffly thought.  
  
"Ne, Aoshi-sama. How in the world did you end up in that puddle?"   
  
Misao broke the silence in the air, as Aoshi relished himself with a cup of steaming  
  
tea Misao prepared while he was in the ofuro.   
  
Both youngsters watched Kenji as he gape at the spinning top in  
  
amusement, which Misao executed rather effortlessly.  
  
Aoshi paused, then placed his cup back to the tray, "It was… an  
  
accident."   
  
Aoshi felt an unease growing inside him, feeling awkward with such  
  
emotion. /Just because I don't know how to spin the top, I ended up entertaining  
  
the boy with a pail of water. But if I tell her, she'll laugh at me./ he pitied himself,  
  
/Me and my tricks./  
  
He didn't know any games when he was still a child. All he knew was  
  
how to fight. Misao knew all the games that ever existed in her childhood, through  
  
Hannya and the others. Aoshi was the one who made sure that she's protected  
  
from the harsh reality outside the shielding walls he created for her. Safe from the  
  
real world where there were no games, no children to play with, no safe place to  
  
run around. He didn't want her to experience what he had experienced in his  
  
childhood. The pain, the grief, the loneliness, it is not befitting for such a child as  
  
Misao.   
  
"Hm? How so?" Misao pushed on, her curiosity apparent in her blue  
  
gaze.  
  
Aoshi watched the spinning top slowed at its pace and as it toppled on  
  
the floor and rolled about in a stop. Kenji picked it up and insisted Misao on doing  
  
it again, of whom the latter did so willingly. She wrapped the top with the string  
  
she was holding carefully, and stood up and positioned the top on the floor, and  
  
swiftly pulled her hand back holding the string, leaving the top spinning again.  
  
"Waah…sugoi!" Kenji cheered.  
  
Misao chuckled, then looked back at Aoshi. She was taken aback with  
  
the way Aoshi was gazing at her deeply, his stark blue-green eyes probing deep  
  
into hers. She blinked once, and again, but still, his deep gaze never faltered.  
  
"Anou…" Misao stammered as she looked away, not knowing how to  
  
approach the situation. /Baka! This is a good opportunity, how can I mess up  
  
now?/  
  
"M'sao-neechan, where's Kaa-chan?" Misao was suddenly distracted by  
  
two round violet eyes looking at her questioningly, with his little hand tugging at the  
  
hem of her kimono.  
  
"Eeto… eh, well…" Misao didn't know what to say, afraid that the little  
  
boy might start crying.  
  
Aoshi rose up from his seat and approached Kenji, "Why don't we go walk  
  
by the river bend?" then he looked at Misao, "Don't you think it's a good idea?"  
  
/The greatest!!/ "Hai." Misao smiled happily.  
  
Kenji played in the field where butterflies flew around from one flower to  
  
another, while Aoshi and Misao sat beneath the shade of a tree by the river,  
  
basking in the early afternoon breeze.  
  
"I'm glad you thought this up, Aoshi-sama. I was already worried Kenji  
  
might start crying." Misao leaned back on the tree trunk, closing her eyes as she felt  
  
the warm breeze on her face.  
  
"When you were younger, I would always bring you here."   
  
Misao opened her eyes in an instant. Her heart thumped wildly as she  
  
heard those words. Ever since he came back, they never had any decent  
  
conversation. He would always lock himself away from them, preferred to be  
  
alone by himself. Not even Misao's persuasions could move him then.  
  
Until now.  
  
"Honto ni? I don't remember." Misao replied, Aoshi sensing her eagerness  
  
for him to go on as she moved closer to him, her eyes expectant.  
  
"You were still a baby. And I'm the only person your grandfather ever  
  
trusted who could bring you outside the Oniwabanshuu walls."   
  
"Hm… I'm glad." Misao murmured, looking at him thoughtfully.  
  
/I'm too close…/ if he never willed himself to look away from her eyes, he  
  
might drown. But he had no choice anyway, he already lost his strength and his  
  
will has abandoned him. He's already drowning.  
  
"M'sao-neechan!!" Kenji suddenly sprang up from nowhere.   
  
"Hey, Kenji!" Misao was suddenly broken from the trance and veered her  
  
attention to the little boy, "Oh, wow! Are these for me?"  
  
Kenji gave the flowers he had collected to Misao, all the while bubbly  
  
with laughter, "Kirei, ne?"  
  
"Hai, very. Arigato, Kenji." Misao smiled sweetly.  
  
Aoshi was thankful for Kenji, though jealous of him for receiving such a  
  
smile. He suddenly felt foolish and childish for feeling as such. He can almost laugh  
  
at himself.  
  
  
  
The afternoon passed unheeded, and the horizon became dimmer, the  
  
hues getting darker as the sun sets from the skies.   
  
Kenji had already dozed off into sleep as he lay cradled in Aoshi's arms.   
  
Misao looked at the little bundle affectionately, then looked back up at Aoshi,  
  
whose eyes were closed as well. She concealed a chuckle, with the way Aoshi  
  
look with the flowers that were adorned upon his head by an incessant child.   
  
Slowly, she plucked the flowers from his head, and as she reached for the one  
  
behind his ear, she cannot help but brush her fingers through his hair.   
  
Aoshi's eyes slowly opened with the caress, and Misao's own widened as  
  
she ended up staring at his blue-green gaze that was now clear from the haze of  
  
sleep.   
  
Aoshi was surprised as well, but his amusement won over his anxiety as he  
  
watched the emotions playing on Misao's blushing face.  
  
She pulled back from her nearness, but enough for their legs to keep in  
  
touch side by side and still facing each other. Trying to find a way to ease the  
  
tension in the atmosphere, she asked nonchalantly, her edginess almost palpable,  
  
"Am I a pain in the butt to you when I was younger then, Aoshi-sama?"  
  
"At times, you were a challenge to my patience," he paused, a slight twist  
  
in his lips, "but you were a child. I learned to accept that it was natural."  
  
"Hm," she mused, but her expression became more serious, and her gaze  
  
lowered, "How-how about now. At this time. Do I still challenge your patience?"  
  
Misao waited for his response, her hands twisting upon her lap. But was  
  
startled when she suddenly felt Aoshi's hand covering hers, and she finally looked up.  
  
Aoshi was smiling.  
  
"Aa, you still do. And I'm afraid I'm losing it."  
  
Misao's face brightened, though still in disbelief, she cannot help the  
  
happiness overflowing within her just by those words that mean everything to her.   
  
Aoshi basked within the smile, knowing that he had made her happy,  
  
and is willing to make her happy for the rest of his life.   
  
"Let's go home." He held her hand in his, and the other supporting the little  
  
red-headed bundle asleep in his arms.  
  
Misao nodded, her smile was all the answered he needed.  
  
"Ooooh… where are those two? I'm really gonna get them this time."   
  
Omasu fumed after cleaning up the muddy hall leading to the ofuro.   
  
"I can't believe they could just leave without even cleaning up their  
  
mess. Hmph, they're in big trouble." Okon announced sternly as she wiped the tea  
  
cups dry.  
  
"I wonder what's keeping them." Kaoru fidgeted with her sash as she sat  
  
beside a calmer Kenshin.  
  
"They must have lost track of time, they'll be here." Kenshin reassured.  
  
"Besides, they are still young. They might be having a great time together.  
  
They can be forgetful." Okina said, after sipping his tea.  
  
"Minna! You will never believe this. Come and see!" Shiro announced  
  
as he suddenly appeared by the door, all goofy-faced.  
  
Everybody raised their brows in question and followed the lad.   
  
  
  
"Wouldn't you know…" Kenshin smiled, bringing his arms around Kaoru's  
  
waist, who was smiling reminiscently as well.  
  
"It has started." Okina proclaimed, his eyes almost brimming with happy  
  
tears.  
  
"Yeah, we can breath easy now." Kuro grinned.  
  
"So, do you think you ladies can give the two a break?" Shiro snickered,  
  
but sweat-dropped when he turned to see the two women crying their hearts out.  
  
"Oh, don't they look so good with each other?" Omasu dabbed her tears  
  
with her sash.  
  
"Hai, our Misao is finally a woman." Okon cried, blowing her nose rather  
  
hard.  
  
"I believe that's a yes." Okina laughed at the two.  
  
They were all peering through the window of the Aioya where they could  
  
see Misao and Aoshi walking down the street, hand in hand, and with a sleeping  
  
Kenji in Aoshi's arms.  
  
"You don't know how to spin the top??" Misao asked incredulously.  
  
"Please Misao, don't push the subject any further." Aoshi's dignity already  
  
started to sink, but was rescued with her following words.  
  
"I can teach you, if you let me." She smiled amiably, tightening her grip  
  
on his large hand.  
  
/Among other things…/ she silently added.  
  
/Among other things. / he thought, "Aa."  
  
*** OWARI ***  
  
thanks for reading, tell me what you think, ne? ^_^  
  
ja ne! 


End file.
